Beyond IYA2009 Updates

IYA2009 spirit lives on — during Germany's craziest highway closure: It was the highlight event of the European Capital of Culture celebrations at the Ruhr in Germany: 60 km of one of the country's busiest highways, the A 40, were completely closed to motorized traffic one Sunday (July 18). This was an opportunity not to be missed by the regional IYA2009 node. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/991/

New Nightshade version released:Nightshade is free, open source astronomy simulation and visualization software for teaching and exploring astronomy, Earth science, and related topics. Nightshade is based on the award-winning Stellarium software, but tailored for planetarium and educator use. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/990/ Music and Astronomy Under the Stars:"Music and Astronomy Under the Stars" is a program run by Dr. Donald Lubowich, from Hofstra University, with funding from NASA. The idea is to combine musical concerts, stargazing and multimedia presentations.More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/989/ Cassini Scientist for a Day - Fall 2010 Contest - National Coordinators Wanted!: In celebration of the Cassini spacecraft’s Solstice mission orbiting Saturn, the Fall 2010 edition of the Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest is once again going to be international. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/988/

TWAN Coverage of July 2010 Total Solar Eclipse: From remote islands of Pacific Ocean to an eclipse flight 12km above the sea, 7 TWAN members from across the globe travelled to capture the elegant beauty of the eclipsed sun. More information: http://www.astronomy2009.org/news/updates/987/